Who to Start in Fantasy Football? NFL Week 13 First Look
After six teams were on a bye last week, every NFL team will be back in action for Week 13, including the three Thanksgiving NFL Games. That could make for some difficult start or sit decisions in fantasy football, as we near the fantasy football playoffs.
We have a wide variety of picks to consider on PrizePicks to help decide who to start in fantasy football this week. Let’s take an early look at the board and highlight some of the more appealing players to start in fantasy football this week at each position.
Locking in your Lineups for Week 13 early is always a good idea, as player projections can increase and become harder to hit as the week progresses.
Who to Start in Fantasy Football? Week 13
Here’s our full list of who to start in fantasy football for Week 13. Click the player to view their PrizePicks Projections and analysis.
Who to Start: Quarterbacks
Who to Start: Running Backs
Who to Start: Wide Receivers
Who to Start: Tight Ends
Who to Start in Week 13: Quarterbacks
Steelers QB Russell Wilson 219.5 Pass Yards – More
Snow didn’t significantly hinder Steelers QB Russell Wilson last week as he threw for 270 yards against the Browns. He has made five starts for the Steelers and thrown for at least 264 yards in three of them. Wilson should be able to rack up passing yards against the Bengals, who have the eighth-highest pass Expected Points Added per play allowed (0.08) in the league, per 4for4 Fantasy Football.
Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield 241.5 Pass Yards – More
Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield picked apart the Giants last week, throwing for 294 yards. While he didn’t record a passing touchdown, he did have a rushing score. It helped his cause that Buccaneers WR Mike Evans made his return from injury. Evans caught five of his six targets for 68 yards
This is a great spot for Mayfield against the Panthers, who have the second-highest pass EPA per play allowed (0.16) in the league, per 4for4.
Who to Start in Week 13: Running Backs
Texans RB Joe Mixon 85.5 Rush Yards – More
Texans RB Joe Mixon was bottled up by the Titans last week, turning 14 carries into just 22 yards. It was a rare off performance, considering that Mixon has rushed for at least 100 yards in six of his nine games. Helping his cause is that he has received at least 20 carries in a game six times.
A hefty workload against a Jaguars team that has the seventh-highest rush EPA per play allowed (0.01 per 4for4) in the league leaves Mixon with tremendous upside. It doesn’t hurt that the Jaguars have only scored 13 points across their last two games, which could leave Mixon to rush more if the Texans have a lead.
Rams RB Kyren Williams 80.5 Rush Yards – More
Rams RB Kyren Williams found his way into the end zone against the Eagles last week while posting 72 yards on 16 carries. Although he has just one game with at least 100 rushing yards this season, he does have 11 total touchdowns and has at least 15 rushes in every game but one.
Look for Williams to produce one of his better stat lines of the season against the Saints, who have the fourth-highest rush EPA per play allowed (0.06) per 4for4.
Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III 62.5 Rush Yards – More
It hasn’t been the best of stretches for Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III, who had just 41 yards on 16 carries against the 49ers last week. The silver lining was that he caught four passes for 52 yards in that matchup.
He hasn’t posted at least 100 rushing yards in a game since Week 1 and he has rushed for a total of just 310 yards over his last seven games. However, Week 13 presents an opportunity for him to get back on track. He will take on the Jets, who have the sixth-highest rush EPA per play allowed (0.02) per 4for4.
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Who to Start in Week 13: Wide Receivers
Steelers WR George Pickens 68.5 Receiving Yards – More
Steelers WR George Pickens caught four passes for 48 yards last week against the Browns. It marked the first time that he finished with fewer than 74 receiving yards in a game since Wilson took over at quarterback. The snow didn’t help his cause and it was encouraging to see that he was still targeted seven times — he’s the go-to in this offense.
With how much the Bengals have struggled to defend the pass, Pickens is in line for a bounce-back performance. Chargers WR Ladd McConkey went for 6 receptions, 123 yards in the Bengals’ last game, and 290 yards passing to Lamar Jackson in the game about that.
Texans WR Nico Collins 78.5 Receiving Yards – More
Texans WR Nico Collins caught five passes for 92 yards and a touchdown in last week’s disappointing loss to the Titans. He was targeted nine times, giving him a total of 16 targets over two games since returning from injury.
It doesn’t get much better than his upcoming matchup with the Jaguars, who have allowed the most passing yards per game (278.3) in the league. When Collins faced them in Week 4, he caught 12 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown.
Titans WR Calvin Ridley 66.5 Receiving Yards – MORE
There was a four-game stretch earlier in the season in which Titans WR Calvin Ridley was mostly invisible in the passing game. However, a Week 8 game against the Lions in which he had 10 receptions for 143 yards has turned his season around.
Now, he has posted at least five receptions and 73 receiving yards in four of his last five games, thriving since WR DeAndre Hopkins was traded to the Chiefs. Week 13 will bring a matchup against the Commanders, who have allowed the fourth-highest explosive pass percentage (16.11%) in the league, per 4for4.
Who to Start in Week 13: Tight End
Buccaneers TE Cade Otton 45.5 Receiving Yards – MORE
With the team hurting at wide receiver, Buccaneers TE Cade Otton entered Week 12 having been targeted at least eight times in four straight games. He was targeted just three times with Evans back last week, but some of that can be attributed to the Buccaneers building a big early lead that resulted in them not needing to throw much in the second half.
The positive was that his lone reception went for 30 yards. Otton will still be a crucial part of this passing offense with WR Chris Godwin done for the year.
A better stat line could await him in a matchup with the Panthers, who have allowed the third-most receiving yards to tight ends (736) in the league. They have also allowed nine receiving touchdowns to the position.
Jaguars TE Evan Engram 47.5 Receiving Yards – MORE
There is a chance that Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) could return for Week 13. If he does, it would provide a boost for Jaguars TE Evan Engram, who has a total of 68 receiving yards over the last two games with Lawrence out.
Even if Lawrence doesn’t play, though, Engram was valuable in PPR formats because he had a total of 11 receptions in those two games. He was targeted a total of 15 times across those two games and should remain a focal point of the Jaguars passing game in Week 13, regardless of who is under center.
Build Your Week 13 NFL DFS Lineup on PrizePicks
Every team will be in action during Week 13, including six teams playing in the Thanksgiving games on Thursday. With a plethora of available options, it will make for some interesting start or sit decisions in fantasy football.
You can get in on the action in Week 13 by building a team on PrizePicks for the Sunday slate. There are no salary constraints, so pick two or more projections for your favorite players, finalize your lineup, sit back, and enjoy the games.
Follow Mike Barner on X: @rotomikebarner
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